There are hundreds of story books on the market today for instructing and entertaining children. Of the children's books intended for instructing children, the most effective are those which rely on the actions of the child to interact physically with each lesson or story that he/she is being taught. These are collectively referred to as interactive or activity books and usually include pages of either pictures or text (or both) which are incomplete, hidden or shown in a scrambled arrangement. The child is encouraged to unscramble, complete or uncover (by, for example, lifting or sliding a panel) the arrangement of pictures and/or text which are designed to make up the particular lesson or story. It is through this physical interaction with the pictures and text that the child not only becomes engrossed in a particular lesson, or taught a particular story, but is entertained in the process and is more likely to continue with other lessons or stories. The child is attracted to each situation or exercise more as a game or a puzzle and is, therefore, more likely to become better engaged, with a better chance for satisfactory retention. As the child physically interacts with each lesson, he or she is more likely to retain the teachings of the lesson and to progress than if learning from less interactive story books such as simple picture or ABC books.
The interactive story books of the present invention involve the provision of a) a first informative element that presents pieces of information in connection with each story, or a portion thereof, in the form of one or more (e.g., a related series of) words, pictures, symbols, colors, or other media of communication perceptible to a child; b) an empty space adjacent to such first informative element; and, c) a second informative element that is one of a number of stickers or the like supplied on a separate or remote sheet (either bound or inserted into the story book), each one of which includes a single exposed (front) face on which is presented additional information also in the form of one or more words, pictures, symbols, colors, or other media of communication perceptible to a child. The method of teaching of the present invention involves having the child compare the first informative element with the stickers to determine which sticker most closely relates to the first informative element. The child then positions as the second informative element the chosen sticker and secures such second informative element in the empty space.
Each interactive children's book functions as an important educational tool by using an entertaining activity to "lure" children away from other less educational, albeit entertaining, daily activities, such as watching television. Interactive children's books teach and encourage children to learn through direct physical involvement. Through this involvement the child becomes an important part of the teaching/learning process. The books teach children to learn by requiring the child to use his or her hands and think before doing it. The more "fun" the interactive books are, the more apt the child is to continue to read and learn from books rather than watch television.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an interactive story book which overcomes the problems of the prior art by further engaging and entertaining a child during the instruction process.
It is an object of the invention to provide an interactive story book which encourages at least two direct interactions by a child to further strengthen the teachings of a particular lesson.
It is another object of the invention to provide such an interactive story book using selectively positionable stickers wherein each sticker offers a second opportunity for interaction by the child to reinforce the particular lesson further.